


Summit

by SwoodMaxProductions



Series: Winds of Change AU [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
Genre: AU, Angst, Defying Fate, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Gen, Good Ganondorf, Link is Too Smol, Protect the children from being weaponized, ganondad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-18 21:20:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20319664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwoodMaxProductions/pseuds/SwoodMaxProductions
Summary: Summit, noun1: The top, highest point, or peak2: A diplomatic meeting with one or more leadersLink is not tossed aside after his failure to rescue Aryll. Instead, he meets with the master of the fortress, who… isn’t exactly what Link had expected.





	Summit

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stages of Flight](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1066156) by [Kasan_Soulblade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasan_Soulblade/pseuds/Kasan_Soulblade). 

> Inspired by the amazing fics A Glass Of Port and AO3’s own Stages of Flight.
> 
> The beginning of the Winds of Change AU!

He was going to die. He knew it. The great bird could easily bite him in two at any second.

And yet it didn’t.

His panicked screams were drowned out by the howling wind and the thunderous beat of the bird’s vast wings, taking him upward, to the broken ship mounted atop the fortress like a trophy.

The bird stopped, holding Link up to the severed part of the ship, apparently used as some kind of balcony. The doors on the balcony opened… And a great black shape moved within, gesturing to the bird, which, amazingly, gently placed Link on the balcony, nudging him through the doors with its beak, causing Link to stumble and fall, landing unceremoniously at the feet of what might have been the biggest man in the world.

He was huge. COLOSSAL. He was as big as Grandma’s whole kitchen, a vast wall of great billowing robes. His eyes, eyes that Link has to crane his neck to see, were an almost hellish yellow, gleaming out of the darkness like the searchlights of the fortress itself.

“You certainly have nerve, boy…”

His voice rumbled like thunder, noticeably hoarse, as though he hadn’t truly spoken for many years.

“Who are you?! W-why did you take my sister?!”

The man seemed… almost taken aback by the young boy’s panic. He just sort of… inspected Link, glancing briefly at his right hand.

“I am the master of the fortress...,” he stated.

Link was beyond terrified. He was about to try to go for his sword and at least put up one last fight when the towering figure took a step back. The skull-shaped torches blazed brighter, and the mysterious man who ruled the Forsaken Fortress summoned a table and chairs. Literally SUMMONED them.

Staring up at him in the new light, Link noticed that the enormous man had fiery red hair, with a beard that made him look a bit like a lion and a nose that made him look a bit like his bird. There was also a strange grey-green tint to his skin, like something dark and unnatural had seeped into his flesh...

“No harm will come to those kept here. What is your name, child…?”

The huge man took a seat, though he still towered over the young Outsetter like a mountain.

“...Link…” he managed to say.

He sighed, shaking his head with a rueful chuckle.

“Of course…”

Link didn’t get what was so funny, and he was too afraid to ask.

“Link. I am looking for someone important. She is the only one who can help me. I assure you that no harm will come to your sister.”

“...Who is she? Th… the girl you’re looking for?”

The quiet question was met by a small sigh. The master of the fortress bowed his head.

“The only hope remaining. Once… there was far more than a monster-ridden sea here. There was… prosperity. Somewhere… there is a girl who bears they key to restoring hope. She has pointed ears… That is all I know.”

He seemed like he hadn’t spoken in years, let alone about this. He seemed… relieved, almost. He was scary, definitely, but there was something else about him, something sad and empty deep in his eyes.

“Can I… help…?”

The huge man stared at Link incredulously.

“...What…?!”

He was completely floored. 

“I just… you know… um… me and my sister could go home then, and, uh, you can save the world and stuff…”

“N— You… you are a child!” The man was finally able to break his stunned silence.

“I have a sword. And a shield!”

“That is— ugh…”

He shook his head, seemingly having to make a difficult decision.

“...Very well,” he rumbled.

“Hrrrr.”

Looking over his shoulder, Link could see the beak of the monstrous bird nudging past the door. 

“Hrrrrrrrrrrr.”

The master of the fortress sighed, rising from his seat to approach the enormous creature and… pet it. The bird closed its eyes, making a small cooing sound.

“Yes, Naboris… you are a good bird…”

It all seemed like some bizarre fever dream to Link.

“You did well. Go back to bed, Boris.”

The bird, amazingly, obeyed. The departure of the bird, however, revealed two enormous warriors, almost as big as the master of the fortress. The eyes glowing in the night immediately alerted Link that they weren’t human.

But as they approached, Link could make out tall, triangular ears and blunt muzzles… dogs…?

“Lord Ganondorf, is everything alright?”

“Who is this?”

They were apparently both female, and as they stepped into the torchlight Link could see that they were indeed canine.

“...Yes. There is no threat. Aya. Naku. This boy has offered to help.”

~~~

Yellow eyes scanned the silhouette of the fortress. This wasn’t right. The boy was still inside, alive. He should have cast him out, or killed him… was he—

No. He was a demon. A monster. They all were.

The boy was now the second priority. Winning him over would require help, help that obviously would not come from the boy.

The King of Red Lions left the waters of the Forsaken Fortress.

He needed a champion.

Ganondorf had to die.

**Author's Note:**

> The Helmaroc King is named after Nabooru... poor Ganondorf.
> 
> Also, Aya and Naku the twin Darknut sisters are named for “Aian Nakku”: the Japanese name for the Iron Knuckle!


End file.
